In a variety of orthopedic procedures, such as oncological procedures, primaries and revisions, measurements are made to obtain a desired result. In some primary and oncological procedures, for example, a section of the bone is removed and an orthopedic prosthesis is attached. Once bone tissue is removed, it becomes difficult to locate the prosthesis at a desired position. Consequently, measurements often are made and reference points are marked for removal of bone tissue. The reference markings may then be used to facilitate location of the prosthesis.
Similarly, in revision procedures, an orthopedic implant is replaced due to, for example, aseptic loosening infection, wear, etc. In such procedures, the surgeon uses reference marks or bone landmarks that allow the surgeon to initially set joint lines for the revisions. Such reference points help reestablish the desired joint line for the replacement orthopedic implant after the old orthopedic implant and a certain amount of bone tissue is removed.
Some instruments have been constructed to facilitate such procedures by aiding in the location of the prosthesis being implanted. However, typical instruments require an invasive procedure, such as attachment of the device to bone tissue by screws or other types of fasteners. Additionally, such instruments often do not account for the natural shape of specific bones, such as the femur or tibia. The present invention addresses these and other drawbacks of existing techniques and instruments.